Withdrawing sponsorship & completing your studies early
From the time that you apply for your Student visa until the time you finish your studies, the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø acts as your Student visa sponsor. When we issue you with a CAS we are confirming to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) that we have offered you a place to study at Exeter and we wish to act as your Student visa sponsor. We continue to sponsor you throughout your studies, as long as you maintain regular attendance.
There are certain circumstances in which we are required to withdraw immigration sponsorship. These are:
- You fail to register at the beginning of the academic year
- You are required to re-sit without attendance
- You take an interruption of study
- You complete your programme earlier than the end date stated on your CAS
- You are required to withdraw from your programme (this could be due to academic failure, unsatisfactory attendance or for disciplinary reasons)
- You choose to withdraw from your programme
- You choose to change to the distance learning version of your programme
- You move to a different immigration category (e.g. Skilled Worker or dependant)
If we withdraw immigration sponsorship, we will contact you to let you know that we have done this, and will advise you on what you need to do. If you have the right to make an academic appeal we will wait until this process is finished before we withdraw immigration sponsorship.
If we withdraw sponsorship of your Student visa, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will curtail your visa. This means that the end date will be shortened to reflect the fact that you are no longer studying. UK Visas and Immigration should contact you by email to confirm that they have curtailed your visa and to inform you of your new visa expiry date.
How this affects your visa
The amount of time remaining on your Student visa will depend on the reason the University has withdrawn sponsorship. In all circumstances, once your visa has been curtailed, you cannot use the same visa to re-enter the UK.
| Reason | Amount of time remaining on your Student visa |
|---|---|
| Failing to register |
If you haven’t travelled to the UK, you should assume your Student visa is cancelled immediately. If you have travelled to the UK, your visa will be curtailed to 60 days. |
|
Resitting without attendance |
60 days from when the University withdraws sponsorship of your Student visa.
|
| Interrupting your studies | |
| Withdrawing from your studies | |
| Changing to Distance Learning | |
| Completing your studies earlier than planned |
If you complete your programme earlier than the end date stated on your CAS, the University is required to inform UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) and withdraw sponsorship of your Student visa. This will result in UKVI curtailing (shortening) your visa in line with your revised programme end date. We will email you when UKVI have been notified and confirm your revised programme end date to help you estimate your revised visa expiry date. See examples below. |
Examples of completing your studies early
- You are a PhD student and you complete your programme more than 1 month earlier than the programme end date listed on your CAS. Once your award has been confirmed, the University will withdraw sponsorship within 2 weeks. Your revised visa end date is +4 months from the completion date.
- You originally planned to study a placement or study abroad year as part of your programme, but have decided to drop the placement/study abroad year.
-
- Undergraduate: You will complete your studies a whole year earlier than planned. The University will withdraw immigration sponsorship at the end of the summer graduation period. Your revised visa end date is estimated as mid-November.
- Undergraduate but you have August resits in your final year: The University will withdraw immigration sponsorship mid-September following the exam board. Your revised visa end date is estimated as mid-January.
- Masters: Your updated programme end date will be January of the second year. The University will withdraw immigration sponsorship early March following the exam board. Your revised visa end date is estimated as early July of the second year.
Additional information
Travel: Curtailed visas expire upon leaving the Common Travel Area. This means you should not attempt to re-enter the UK if your visa has been curtailed. Depending on when the University withdraws sponsorship of your visa, you may not be able come back to attend graduation on your current Student visa and will have to apply for a Visitor visa instead.
eVisas: We are aware eVisas are not always updated accurately. If you’re unsure how this affects you, contact International Student Advice for further guidance.
Staying in the UK: If you plan to remain in the UK after this date, you’ll need to apply for another visa, subject to eligibility. Withdrawing your Student visa sponsorship will not affect future visa applications.